RESOLUTE BAY, NUNAVUT, CANADA—The Canadian Arctic is cold. Really cold. Bone-chilling cold. The usual temperature range for an April day in Resolute Bay is -16ºC (3ºF) to -23ºC (-9ºF), and we have been close to those averages for most of our days here. The winds, which often blow hard, can make it feel 10 degrees colder. It’s no wonder we have not seen a lot of people outdoors.

But cold is beautiful, and we have been dazzled by the sensory and visual experiences of our week. From a distance, all can seem white and monotonous. But in the layers of snow, patches of sky, and whirls of air, there are subtle colors and textures of Arctic life.